Meet Andrew Wille | Photographer, Creative Producer, and Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew Wille and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, what principle do you value most?
The principles that matters most to me are kindness and integrity. I have always lived my life with integrity, while trying to be kind in any scenario I find myself in. While we can’t always control what happens to and around us, we can control how we respond to these things. Through my life i’ve done my best to always respond with kindness and integrity, and am proud of the person that i’ve become as a result of it. In business, whether its a client, student, or peer, I’ll always choose to work with those that share those same principles as well. It kinda all stems from the ‘Golden Rule’ – treat others the way you want to be treated. The better people we can be, the better we make it for everyone else.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Where to start?!

I’ve always believed that an image has the ability to inspire or even change someone’s entire life, and I try to embody that in each of my photos. I’m best known for my urban and landscape photography. I think what sets my work apart is my unique utilization of light within my images, as well as my ability to evoke emotion through purposeful color grading.

I’m most proud of how far i’ve come as a photographer and artist, and that I have never settled. I’ve never given up on learning new things, and am always working to better myself each and every day (both as a creator and just in life). I’m most excited about the unknown and what is yet to come. Through my work i’ve been able to have such amazing experiences, and I know that with hard work and dedication – there is much more to come.

I got to where I am today professionally by putting in the work/time. I started photography just as a hobby, something to do once I graduated from college. It was purely passion and everything I did with it was for fun. While that may not have set me on the most direct path to where I am now, I think it was crucial into me becoming the photographer and person I am today. It gave me the time to deeply fall in love with it, and make that decision on whether I wanted to take photos for a living. I’ve talked to many who are just getting into the space, but are already putting so much pressure on themselves from a business perspective, without fully developing that love or passion.

An important lesson i’ve learned along the way is that people matter. Friendship matters. Having fun matters. Not everything is about social media likes or impressing people that you have never met. In the end you need to be doing things for the right reasons and be there for those that have always been there for you.

One thing I’d want the world to know about me is that i’m just a normal person who fell in love with photography, and loves sharing it with the world. If you have a passion or love for something, don’t be afraid to start, and just have fun with it. There will always be someone better, but as long as you are filling your cup – that’s okay

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For me, it’s all about getting out to experience the different vibes of Los Angeles. I’d definitely take them to the beach (Venice is my go-to as there is always so much going on there). I live near all of the ramen shops in Sawtelle, so no trip would be complete without hitting up Tatsu and Somi Somi. I also love heading out to DTLA/East LA for some street tacos *insert drool emoji. There really is so much to do and see, no matter what someone is into there’s something for them up here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that I want to shoutout here. My family for always being so supportive of me and this dream of mine. My photography friends all throughout the world, but especially in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I fell in love with photography just after moving to the Bay, and the friends I made there pushed me creatively and helped me become the photographer I am today. The team of creatives I work with in Los Angeles have also taught me so much, and together we’ve done so much that i’m proud of. And most importantly my fiancé, who has always been the most supportive, understanding, and helpful teammate with all of this.

Website: www.andrewoptics.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewoptics

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-wille-0a28115b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewOptics

Facebook: www.facebook.com/andrewoptics

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21iNhCB0baYp7bS5Nz3u6A